Three men who are accused in the J Dey murder case have now been accused of assaulting a moneylender to extort Rs 5 lakh from him.

Threatened: The complainant Anil Deepchand Rajpal is a licensed moneylender and was arrested earlier this year after being mentioned in a suicide note. He has sought police protection after lodging an FIR against the three accused, as they have alleged links to the Chhota Rajan gang

The moneylender, who is currently out of jail, has asked for police protection, citing that Joseph and Chembur have links to the Chhota Rajan gang.

On August 28, the Chembur police registered an FIR against Joseph, Vinod and Khetpal under sections 387, 323, 504 and 34 of the IPC. Later, the matter was transferred to NM Joshi Marg police station, as the incident had taken place in their jurisdiction.

“We have registered an FIR against Joseph, Chembur and Khetpal. There has been no other development in the matter,” said Sudhakar Ghagre, senior inspector, NM Joshi Marg police station.

According to police, the complainant, Chembur resident Anil Deepchand Rajpal (44), is a licensed moneylender and was arrested earlier this year after being mentioned in a suicide note. In May, businessman Ghanshyam Bajaj had taken

Rs 3.48 lakh in loan from Rajpal, for the period of a month. On June 10, Bajaj returned Rs 3.3 lakh in cash and Rs 18,000 by a cheque.

However, less than a month later on July 1, Bajaj committed suicide by hanging himself in his printing press at Chembur. In his suicide note, Bajaj mentioned that Rajpal and two others were responsible for his suicide. On July 5, Chembur police arrested Rajpal. He was sent to Arthur Road jail.

Beaten up On July 15, as Rajpal entered jail, he was accosted by Joseph. “Threatening me, Joseph said, ‘Main tera 11 tareekh se intezaar kar raha tha. Vinod ne teri khatirdari karne ke liye kafi message bheje hain (I have been waiting for you since the 11th. Vinod sent me several messages to take care of you’),” Rajpal told the police.

Rajpal has alleged that Joseph has some kind of understanding with Arthur Road jail officials. He was lodged in barrack 7, but at his demand, officials shifted Joseph to barrack 6. Joseph would come to the barrack regularly and beat him, demanding Rs 5 lakh from him. “Joseph would threaten me every day, saying that if I didn’t pay the money, they would kill me like me like O P Singh,” said Rajpal.

Now, after coming out, just see what Vinod does to you. And the money you owed him, even your father will pay. Otherwise, you won’t even know from where the bullet hit you.)” Rajpal says he has worked with Chembur in the past and is aware of their criminal activities. He claims that the three accused want to kill him.